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Contractor Issue with a New Install Heat Pump & Bypass Humidifier

2 days ago, I had a contractor install a new heat pump for an addition of our house to replace a failed unit. As part of the work, I asked them to also install a whole-home bypass humidifier onto the air handler of our other heat pump that is for the main part of our house. Shortly after they left, I started to smell a burning smell through our vents in our main part of the house. The next day they came back and said that the air mount assembly went up and we needed a new one and that they were not responsible for the cost of replacing it. Apparently the motor on the air handler burned out? The heat pump on the addition is working fine, our issue is with the unit where they installed the bypass humidifier which was an Aprilaire 600 series. I heard them cutting duct work, drilling, banging, etc... as they installed the bypass humidifier.

Could something have happened to the motor when they installed the humidifier? I find the timing of motor going up as fishy. Maybe something got in the duct work during their work that caused the motor to go up? They cut the duct work to install a control unit, they also mounted the unit to the duct work on the return side. Maybe the wiring caused the motor to get fried? I have no clue.

We haven't had problems with the main heat pump unit for years. They will be replacing the air mount assembly tomorrow, is there anything I can tell by looking at it when they come to do the replacement to see if it went up because of something they did?

I am going to follow up with a call to the owner and ask them that they should repair the unit at no cost to me since it happened the sameday they did work. I will tell him that I will file a complaint with the BBB and the State Board of Licensing too if need be. I believe I shouldn't have to pay for the replacement air mount assembly. I just want confirmation that it is possible that it went up as a result of something they did while installing the bypass humidifier.

The easiest way to determine if the motor was misswired is to call an indepedant hvac contractor to troubleshoot it and give you a written report, then you can present the invoice to the owner of the original company and see what happens. Remember I am not there and have absolutly no interest in your situation.

Without proof or confirmation of what may or may not have been a coincidence or something the contractor did you're going to be relying on assumptions. Is it "possible" it was something they did? Sure. Is it also just as possible it was a coincidence? Sure.

Like toocool said, if you feel that it was something they did you should have a professional opinion in writing to back up your claim.

Poor timing coincidences happen from time to time. A reputable business owner will have no problem resolving issues that his company is responsible for.

Just a suggestion that you can take for what it's worth to you: I wouldn't start off a conversation by saying that if they don't do what you think they should do because of an assumption you have you will be reporting them. No matter the person or their position, being threatened usually doesn't bring forth the response the other person was honestly looking for in the first place.

Use the biggest hammer you like, pounding a square peg into a round hole does not equal a proper fit.

In order to install the humidifier you authorized them to install. They had to cut and bang on the duct work. So yes, all the work you told them to do could have disturbed the windings of the motor enough that it burned out.

Responsibility for the replacement of the motor should fall on the party that authorized such work to be done. Contact him and have him pay the bill.